Cross-rein fastening.



J. M. WALSH.

CROSS REIN FASTENING.

APPLICATION FILED MN. 5. 1916.

1,285,499. Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

JAMES M. WALSH, 0F STOCKBRIDGE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO WALSH HARNESS COMPANY. OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

CROSS-REIN FASTENING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, JAMns M. WALSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockbridge, in the county of Calumet and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cross-Rein Fastenings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates more particularly to adjustabl fastenings for cross reins of double harness. I

Its main objects are to provide a simple easily manipulated device for adjustably fastening the cross reins to the main relns of double harness; to avoid external projections which are liable to catch on fly nets or other parts of the harness and cause annoyance and trouble; to avoid perforating and weakening the reins with buckle holes; to prevent wear and weakening of the leather by chafing against or abrupt bending around sharp corners or angles of the metal fastening; and generally to improve the construction and operation of fastenings of this class. I I

It consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a fastening embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on the line 2-2, Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thedevice; Fig. 4 is a front end elevation without the reins; Fig. 5 is a partially assembled side elevation of the device without reins, a portion of the body being broken away and shown in section; Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 66, Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified construction of the faster ing, a portion being broken away; Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view of the fastening shown in Fig. 7, with portions of main and cross reins connected therewith; and Fig. 9 is a plan view on a reduced scale of a screw driver attached to the outside end of the cross rein for operating the clamping screw of the fastening.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the fastening comprises a body having top and bottom or upper and lower plates or members a, connected at their front ends by a post or upright b, and formed at a distance to the rear of the post or upright with concave seat sections 0, for the cross rein d. Between the post 6 and the seat sections a, the top and bottom body members a are formed in their inner sides with parallel longitudinal grooves or slots 6, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

A clamping piece or member 7, having a convex or rounded face corresponding with but of smaller diameter than the concave face of the seat sections 0, is formed at the ends with lugs g, which are fitted in the grooves c.

The post Z; is formed with a boss ornut h, in which a screw 2' is threaded, the rear end of the screw being fitted to engage with the front face of the clamping piece 7 about midway between its ends and the front exposed end of the screw being slotted to receive a screw-driver. The top and bottom plates or members'a, which are primarily spread, separating the seat sections 0, as shown in Fig. 5, are extended rearwardly beyond the seat sections and formed with holes" for the connection therewith of a post or upright member y, to which the main rein 7c is attached. The post j is formed at the ends with pintles Z, which fit into the holes in the plates at when they are closed or bent into their final position, as shown in Fig. 3. The pintles Z are preferably upset or riveted to bind and hold the plates at with the seat'sections 0, together. The pintles may be fitted to pivot or turn in the plates on, or to be made fast therein, so that the post 3 will turn or be fixed relative to the body of the fastening.

To prevent the main rein It", which is looped and permanently fastened by stitching or otherwise, around the post 7', from turning, rubbing and wearing thereon, the post is preferably formed as shown, with a rearwardly projecting tongue m, and at the ends of the tongue with guard flanges a. The tongue m, which lies between the folds of the looped end of the rein L, prevents the rein from turning, and the flanges n prevent it from shifting lengthwise thereof. Rubbing and consequent wear of the rein where it is attached to the fastening are thus prevented.

When the parts of the fastening are assembled and the plates or members a with the seat sections 0 are closed together, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, the grooves 0 engage with the lugs g and thus confine the clamping piece or member 7 inplace and guide it in its movements toward and from the cross rein seat '0. i

To avoid chafing, wearing and weakening the cross rein cl where it is connected with the fastening, the edges at the sides of the concave seat a are beveled or rounded outwardly, the side edges of the clamping piece or member 7 are rounded inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and the inner faces of the plates or members a are beveled or rounded forwardly and outwardly from said seat, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4- Instead of forming the post 7' for the attachment of the main rein to the fastening in a separate piece and making the cross rein seat in separable sections to enable the parts of the fastening to be assembled, as shown in Fig. 5, the post j may be cast or formed integrally with the upper and lower plates or members a and said plates or members may be extended to form the flanges 71/, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this modified form of the fastening, the clamping piece or member f is inserted through an opening 0 formed for the purpose in the lower plate or member a, into position with the lugs g at its ends in engagement with the grooves e. In other respects this form of the fastening is substantially like that shown in the other figures in construction and operation. 7

With either form of the fastening the cross rein d, consisting of two branches for attachment one to the outer side of the bridle of one horse, and the other to the inner side of the bridle of the other horse, is clamped and held in place between the concave seat 0 and the relatively movable member f.

To vary the adjustment of the cross rein (Z, the screw 2' is turned back sufficiently to release the grip of the clamping member f on therein, which is then shifted in one direction or the other into the desired position, where it is secured by tightening the screw 2'. With this fastening, no buckle holes are made in either rein, there are no billets or loose strap ends, and no projections to catch in and breaka fly net or occasion trouble by catching on obstructions and interfering with the free operation of the reins. Less material is required for the reins, and the leather is not worn and weakened by rubbing or chafing against the fittings.

In order that a convenient instrument may always be at hand for operating the clamping screw 2' and adjust-ing the cross rein cl as above explained, a screw driver ,2), which may be formed with a snap hook q or other fastening for connecting the cross rein 03 with a bridle bit, is attached, as shown in Fig. 9, to the outside end of the cross rein.

.Various changes other than those mentioned may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts of the device without departure from the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a cross-rein fastening the combination of a recessed body comprising top and bottom members connected at their front ends by an upright post and having a concave seat behind said post for the cross-rein, a rounded clamping piece guided at its ends in said top and bottom members and movable toward and from said seat, a screw threaded in said post parallel with said top and bottom members and adapted by engagement with said clamping piece to secure the cross-rein between it and said seat, and an upright member behind said seat connected with the fastening for attachment of the main rein.

2. In a cross-rein fastening the combination of a recessed bodycomprising top, and bottom members connected at their front ends by a post and having an upright concave seat for the cross-rein behind said post, a clamping piece guided at the ends by the top and bottom members between said post and seat, a screw threaded in said post between and parallel with the top andbottom members and adapted by engagement with the clamping piece to force and hold the cross-rein againstsaid seat, and an up right member for the attachment of the main rein located behind said seat and pivotally connected with the top and bottom members of the fastening.

3. In a. cross rein fastening the combination of a body comprising approximately parallel top and bottom members connected by front and rear uprights and having an intermediate concave seat for the cross Yrein, a clamping piece guided at its upper and lower ends by the top and bottom members between said seat and front upright and having a rounded face corresponding with and presented toward said concave seat, and a screw threaded in the front upright between and parallel with the top and bottom members and adapted to engageat its inner end with the clamping piece, the rear upright for the attachment of the main rein being formed with a rearwardly projecting tongue and with guard flanges at its upper and lower ends. I v

4. In a cross rein fastening the combination of a body comprising upper and lower.

members formed with a front upright connecting post and at a distance therefrom to the rear with a concave cross rein seat having outwardly rounded orbeveled edges at the sides, the inner facesof the upper and lower members being rounded or beveled from said seat outwardly and forwardly; a clamping piece guided between said upper and lower members and having a rounded face presented toward and corresponding with said seat; and a screw threaded in the front upright between the upper and lower members and engaging at its rear end with the clamping piece.

5. In a cross rein fastening the combination with a body comprising upper and lower members formed with a front connecting post, a concave cross-rein seat behind the post and parallel longitudinal grooves in the inner faces of the upper and lower members between said post and seat and provided behind said seat with an upright post for attachment of the main rein; a rounded clamping member having lugs at the ends fitted in said grooves; and a screw threaded in said post between and parallel with the upper and lower members and engaging at its rear end with the clamping piece.

6. In a cross rein fastening the combination of a body comprising upper and lower members connected at their front ends by a post and formed at a distance behind said post with concave cross-rein seat sections and between said post and seat sections with longitudinal grooves; a clamping member having lugs at the ends fitting into said grooves; a screw threaded in said post and adapted to engage at its rear end with the clamping member; and a post for attachment of the main rein formed with a rearwardly projecting tongue, pintles at the ends fitting alined holes in the rear ends of the upper and lower body members, and guard flanges between the tongue and pintles.

7 In a cross rein fastening the combination of a recessed body comprising parallel members connected at one end by a post and having a seat for the cross rein opposite the post, a clamping piece guided by said parallel members and movable toward and from said seat. a screw threaded in said post and adapted to force the clamping piece toward said seat, and means located on the opposite side of the seat from the post for the attachment of the main rein.

8. In a cross-rein fastening the combination of a recessed body comprising parallel members connected at one end by a post and having a seat opposite the post for the cross rein, a clamping piece guided by said parallel members and movable toward and from said seat, a screw threaded in said post and adapted to force the clamping piece toward the seat, and a member pivotally connected with the body for the attachment of the main rein on the opposite side of the seat from the post.

In witness whereof I hereto aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. WALSH.

Witnesses:

PAUL E. HERB, Y A. H. FLATLEY.

flopies of this patent may be obtained, for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

